Missions Blog

So I have been reading a book about being on fire for God. It has been really encouraging to my soul. The last chapter was talking about a topic I often think about. The chapter is about how important the power of God being present in your life is. I hear a great deal about truth and that is the thing that is most important about presenting. I agree, but I think that sometimes in a Baptist culture the concept of power is barely discussed. The New Testament talks about it all over the place. Just listen to Paul in 1 Cor. 2:1-5

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Wow! He came to them in a demostration of the Spirit and of power so that their faith would be in the power of God. I wonder how many false converts we have because we only presented the gospel in superiority of speach or of wisdom. How many people have rested their faith on the wisdom of men? (See also Rom 1:16, 1 Cor 1:18, 1 Cor 1:24)

Jesus touched and healed people. He cast out demons. He demonstrated a powerful kingdom, not just a more correct one. I love that passage in Luke when His disciples did not realize it was Him they were talking to after the resurrection and on remembering the experience they said their hearts were burning inside of them. I can tell you that the power to inspire others or helping people over come strongholds is not possible without the power of God.

1 Cor 4:19-20 says that Christ is the power AND the wisdom of God. Both are important. Do a search for power in the New Testament.

I have often seen the fruit of lack of power in witnessing as people feel no conviction of sin. I have also seen, after a time of breakthrough with God in prayer, people get massively convicted over sin and once even cry out “what do I have to do to be saved” in frustration. He wasn’t exactly super broken, but the conviction and understanding that he couldn’t just be good and religious to get to heaven was getting to him.

Now I love truth and often defend with passion, but truth alone is not enough. When crowds of people have been brought into the kingdom of God the power of God was present in an incredible way. Maybe we don’t talk about because we know nothing of it. Or atleast we don’t know that much about it. We need to ask Jesus again to “teach us how to pray.” We need to ask Him to empower our pastors and ourselves to take the gospel to a hardened people.

I think we have neglected it because so many have faked it on TV, but we need to get over all of that. We need Jesus and His power to break through to people hardened by sin. Our families are suffering, our churches are hurting, and our communities are getting worse.